Portable screen stand



April 1, 1952 J. DU MAIS EIAL 2,591,244

PORTABLE SCREEN STAND Filed March 15, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet l 4 mvsmons: 1ft LEO J. DUMAIS HUGO BERNZOTT FRANKJPROKOP ATT' Y3 April 1, 1952 L. .J. DU MAIS EIAL 2,591,244

PORTABLE SCREEN STAND Filed March 15, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 3| 4530 lNVENTORS LEO J. DUMAIS HUGO BERNZOTT FRANKJPROKOP ATT'YS April 1, 1952 L. J. DU MAIS ETAL 2,591,244

PORTABLE SCREEN STAND Filed March 15, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 NEW lNVENTORS LEO J- DUMAIS HUGO BERNZOTT FRAN KJPROKOP Patented Apr. 1, 1952 PORTABLE SCREEN STAND Leo J. Du Mais, Chicago, Hugo Bernzott, Niles, and Frank J. Prokop, Chicago, Ill., assignors to Da-Lite Screen Company, Inc., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application March 15, 1951, Serial No. 215,818

13 Claims. 1

The main objects of this invention are to provide an improved stand structure for portable picture screens, particularly with respect to simplifying the operations of setting up the screen for use and retracting its parts into compact form for transportation and storage; to provide improved latching structures for releasably locking the parts in various positions; and to provide specific improvements in the structure of screens of the type generally disclosed in the patent of J. T. Heck No. 2,355,799 issued August 15, 1944; and the patent to Leo J. DuMais No. 2,370,235 issued February 27, 1945.

A specific embodiment, showing this invention is shown in the acompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the screen structure as it appears with its tripod legs in position for supporting the standard in an upright position and with its screen secured in parallel relation to the standard.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary detail, partly in section, as viewed from the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 of the latch mechanism that locks the extension rod in various positions.

Fig. 4 is a detail of the extension rod on a reduced scale and showing its latching apertures.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail showing the relation of the tripod legs to the main standard and to the latching mechanism for securing the legs in their folded relation to the standard.

Fig. 6 is a further detail in perspective of parts of the latch mechanism shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. '7 is a perspective view of the same showing its relation to the hinge fitting to which are pivotally connected the links that brace the legs of the tripod in their expended load-carrying position.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view of the same parts in their relation to the spring that lifts the extension rod away from its case-locking position and the spring that controls the latch member that locks the legs in their folded position.

Fig. 9 is a detail taken on the line 9--9 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary sectional detail showing the relation of the tripod legs to their slidable hinge member and to their bracing links and springs.

Fig. 11 is a detail in perspective of the slidable hinge member.

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary detail of the scree case and screen bail.

In the form shown in the drawings, the main standard H is in the form of a tube adapted to be supported in an upright position by tripod legs I2. The screen case I3 is pivoted at l4 to a bracket member I5 that is provided with a handle l6 and slidably mounted on the standard II where it is locked in various positions of adjustment under control of a latch button I! by latch mechanism of suitable form not involved in the present invention. A stop I8 establishes the downward limit of movement of the bracket :5 with respect to the standard ll.

As shown in Fig. 1, the legs 12 of the tripod are pivotally connected at their upper ends to a sleeve or slidable fitting H! by pivot pins and are also connected to a fitting 2! that is fast on the lower end of the standard I l by means of links 22. These links are pivoted to Wings 23 on the fittings 2! by pivots 24 and are also pivoted at their other ends, by pins 25, to their respective tripod legs I2.

A wire Spring 26 is wound helically around each pin and has arms at its ends bearing between link 22 and leg I2 in such manner as to normally urge the tripod leg to its limit of outward movement on the hinge pin 20.

In the form shown, the tripod legs are of channel-shaped section and the fitting H! has wing structures that fit within the bosom of the channel and have stop surfaces 21 that limit the outward movements of the legs. l2 on their pivots Zil-and thus limit the downward sliding movement of the fitting IS on the standard H.

Each leg l2 of the tripod has a latch shoulder in the form of a pin 28 extending across the space between the side flanges of the channel- I shaped leg and positioned to engage latch lug 29 on a spider arm 30 of a latch member 3|. The latch member 3| is carried by a stem 32 which is vertically slidable in a cap fitting 33 that is fastened to the lower end of the standard tube II by a screw 34. The stem 32 is'of square or other suitable cross section so as to be nonrotatable and is located on the fitting 33so as to be vertically slidable along the axis of the standard II.

A helical compression spring 35 surrounds the stem 32 and bears between a shoulder 35 in the form of a washer at the top of the stem 32 and fitting 33 so as normally to urge the latch unember 3| toward the position in which its lugs 28 hookingly engage the latch pins 28 of the tripod legs l2 when they are folded against the standard II. The cap member 33 also serves as an abutment for a helical compression; spring 31 that engages the guide shoe 38 on theflower end; of an extension rod 39 that is telescopingly slidable within the standard tube H. An annular wall 49 welded on the fitting 33 separates the adjacent convolutions oi the springs 35 and 3'! so as to avoid interference between them. A lever ll in the form of a plate interposed between the latch member 35 and the cap fitting 33 is fulcrumed at 32 on the fitting 33 and has a button 53 at its operating end. fhe lever ll has an aperture dd through which the stem 32 passes and has a bifurcated arm 55 that is bent upward to straddle one of the wings 23 of the .fitting 2i so as to prevent lateral displacement of the lever 4!.

The extension rod 39, as shown in Fig. 2, is slidably mounted in a cap fitting G6 at the upper end of the standard H and has a bracket ll mounted on its upper end which has an arm shaped to form a hook -8 for receiving the bail 48A (Fig. 12), by means of which the end latch 48.2 of the screen is hung upon the extension rod '39.when the screen 598.3 is in use. The bracket 41 also has a depending lug is positioned to engage an aperture 59 in the end cap 51 of the-screen case l3. The upper surface or" the cap 5| has a depression, indicated by dotted line 52 in Fig. 2, in which the bracket arm ll is nested when the pin 69 is in engagement with the aperture 59;

'The cap 45 at the upper end of the'main standard H houses a latch mechanism com prising a latch pin 53' positioned to engage a series of apertures Ed in the front wall of the extension rod 39 for locking the extension rod in various positions of longitudinal adjustment with respect to the standard 1 l. As shown in Fig. 3, the pin 53 is carried by a slide member 55 that comprises a pair of side arms 55 extending across opposite sides of the extension rod 39, which arms are seated in registering slots formed in the cap it and the upper end of the standard H. A compression springs! normally urges the slide member 55 toward the right of Fig. 3. The right-hand end of the member 55 is finished with an ornamental push button 53, whereby the pin 53 is withdrawn from the aperture 54 by an inward pressure upon the button 58 against the action of the spring 5?.

The various parts of the screen stand are so proportioned that when the screen-case-carrying bracket I5 is in its lowermost position, as represented by the stop H8 in Fig. l, and the case is turned in parallel relation to the standard N, then when the extension rod 39 is pushed inwardly into the standard I! to the limit of its movement, as indicated by full lines in Fig. 2, its lug 49 will lock the case against swinging on its pivot ii. The uppermost one of the aper tures 55 in the extension rod 35 is located so as to be engaged by the latch pin 53 to lock the extension rod in this position. The lower end cap 38 on the rod 39 at such time compresses the spring 3?, so that when the push button 58 is pressed to'release the pin 53 from the re speotive aperture 54, the extension rod 39 will be lifted by spring 3 to'the position shown in broken lines in Fig. 2 and will release the screen case so that it may be swung to its horizontal position with respect to the standard.

The sliding fitting l9 to-which the tripod legs are hinged is provided with a projecting lip on one side that forms a finger-hold 58. When the parts are in the position in which they are shown in Fig. l, the operator need only lift on the finger-hold 59 to collapse the legs of the tripod against the sidesof the standard H.- A quick movement of this kind causes the latch pins 28 on the legs i2 to ride up over the beveled ends of the latch lugs 29 of the latch member 3: by which the legs ii are locked against spreading. At this time, the parts of the stand are in their most compactly compressed position with the handle it in appropriate location for carrying the screen stand when tilted to a horizontal position.

In order to set up the screen for use, it is only necessary for the operator to depress the lever button es to shift the latch member 3! out of engagement with the pins 23 whereupon the springs 25 will throw the tripod legs l2 apart to the position in which they are shown in Fig. 1. Then the operator, by pressing the latch button 58, causes the latch pin 53 to withdraw from engagement with rod 39 and the spring 37 lifts the rod 39 to the position in which it is shown in broken lines in Fig. 2, thus allowing the case it to be swung to its horizontal position.

The bail 43.! on theend lath 48.2 of the screen is then used to withdraw the screen 48.3 from its housing case until the bail can be hung on the hook 48. Then while pressing the button 58 to retract the latch pin 53 from the rod 39, said extension rod can be released and shifted to any desired position at which pin 53 will engage one of the apertures M, as will be understood.

Although but one specific embodiment ofthis invention is herein shown and described, it will be understood that numerous details of the structure shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of the invention as V defined by the following claims.

We claim:

1. A portable screen stand, comprising a tubular standard, an extension rod telescoping therein, a screen reel case pivotally mounted on said standard, a bracket arm mounted on the free end portion of said extension rod, means for interlocking said bracket arm and one end of said case when said case is in approximately parallel relation to said standard said extension rod being depressable into said standard, a spring normally urging said extension rod outward from such depressed "position, latch means acting between said standard and said extension rod to secure the rod in such depressed position, a tripod connected to one end of said standard and having legs foldable against said standard, and spring-pressed latch means acting between said standard and tripod to hold the legs folded against said standard.

2. A portable screen stand, comprising a tubular standard, an extension rod telescoping therein, a screen reel case pivotally mounted on said standard, a bracket arm mounted on the free end portion of said extension rod, means for interlocking said bracket arm and one end of said case when said case is in approximately parallel relation to said standard and said extension rod bee ing depressable into said standard, a spring nortripod to hold the legs folded against said standard.

3. A portable screen stand, comprising a tub lar standard, an extension rod telescoping therein, a screen reel case pivotally mounted on said standard, a bracket arm mounted on the free end portion of said extension rod, means for interlocking said bracket arm and one end of said case when said case is in approximately parallel relation to said standard and said extension rod being depressable into said standard, a spring normally urging said extension rod outward from such depressed position, latch means acting between said standard and said extension rod to secure the rod in such depressed position, a tripod connected to one end of said standard and having legs foldable against said standard, spring means normally urging said tripod legs apart to their load-carrying relation to the standard, latch means acting between said standard and tripod to hold the legs folded against said standard, said last-named latch means comprising individual latch shoulders on said legs and a latch member shiftably mounted on said standard for movement into and out of latching engagement with said shoulders when said legs lie against said standard, and spring means normally urging said latch member into position for latching engagement with said shoulders.

' 4. A portable screen stand, comprising a tubular standard, an extension rod telescoping therein, a screen reel case pivotally mounted on said standard, a bracket arm mounted on the free end portion of said extension rod, means for interlocking said bracket arm and one end of said case when said case is in approximately parallel relation to said standard and said extension rod being depressable into said standard, a spring normally urging said extension rod outward from such depressed position, latch means acting between said standard and said extension rod to secure the rod in such depressed position, a tripod connected to one end of said standard and having legs foldable against said standard, spring means normally urging said tripod legs apart to their load-carrying relation to the standard, latch means acting between said standard and tripod to hold the legs folded against said standard, said last-named latch means comprising individual latch shoulders on said legs and a latch member shiftably mounted on said standard for movement into and out of latching engagement with said shoulders when said legs lie against said standard, and spring means normally urging said latch member into position for latching engagement with said shoulders, and a trip lever coacting with said standard and latch member for shifting the latter out of such latching engagement.

5. A portable screen stand, comprising a tubular standard, a tripod connected to one end of said standard and having legs pivotally foldable against said standard, spring means normally urging said legs away from said standard, an extension rod telescoping into said standard at the end thereof that is distant from said tripod, a screen reel case pivotally mounted on said standard, a bracket arm on the outer end of said extension rod, means for interlocking said bracket arm and one end of said case when said case is substantially parallel with said standard and said extension rod is retracted into said standard, latch means acting between said standard and said extension rod to secure said exten- Til 6 sion rod in such retracted position, a fittingattached to the tripod bearing end of said standard, a compression spring seated on said fitting and normally urging said extension rod outward from its said retracted position, a bore in said fitting extending axially of said standard, a stem slidable through said bore, a latch member fast on the outer end of said stem, and having radially directed arms, coacting latch shoulders on said arms and respective legs of said tripod adapted to be interlocked and disengaged through axial shifting of said stem, a compression spring bearing between said fitting and stem to normally urge said stem to a position for engagingsaid coacting latch shoulders, and a lever acting between said fitting and latch member to separate,

said coactin latch shoulders.

6. In a portable screen stand, a standard, a plurality of legs hinged on said standard to swing from positions parallel to said standard to relative positions for supporting said standard in an upright position, springs normally urging said legs to such standard supporting positions, and latch means normally urged to engage said legs to hold them in their parallel positions.

7. In a portable screen stand, a standard, a

fitting fixed at one end of said standard, a second.

fitting slidable along said standard, a plurality of legs hinged to one of said fittings and adaptedtto be swung between positions of substantial parallelism with said standard and relatively expanded positions for supporting said standard in an upright position, links respectively connecting each of said legs to the other of said fittings, spring means normally urging said legs apart, and latch means normally urged to engage said legs to hold them in their parallel positions.

8. The combination of claim '7, wherein the leg-latching means is mounted on the lower end of the standard.

9. In a portable screen stand, a standard, a fitting fixed at one end of said standard, a second fitting slidable along said standard, a plurality of legs hinged to said slidable fitting and adapted to be swung between positions of substantial parallelism with said standard and relatively expanded positions for supporting said standard in an upright position, links respectively connecting each of said legs to said fixed fitting, spring means normally urging said legs apart, transverse latch shoulders on said legs, a latch member slidably mounted on said standard to engage and disengage said latch shoulders, and a spring normally urging said latch member into position for engaging said latch shoulders.

10. In a portable screen stand, a standard, a fitting fixed at one end of said standard, a second fitting slidable along said standard, a plurality of legs hinged to said slidable fitting and adapted to be swung between positions of substantial parallelism with said standard and relatively expanded positions for supporting said standard in an upright position, links respectively connecting each of said legs to said fixed fitting, spring means normally urging said legs apart, transverse latch shoulders on said legs adjacent the lower end of said standard when said legs are in their parallel relation to said standard, and latch assemblage comprising a cap on said standard, a stem extending slidably through said cap axially of said standard, a latch member carried by said stem and having hook-shaped pawls for engaging the respective latch shoulders on said legs, a compression spring bearing between said stem and cap to normally hold said pawls into position to 'lar cngageosaid latch shoulders, and a lever bearing between said cap and latch member to oppose said compression spring and release said pawls from said shoulders.

11. A portable screen stand, comprising a tubustandard, an extension rod telescoping therein, legs pivotally mounted on said standard to sw ng between positions of parallelism with said standard to expanded positions for supporting said standard in an upright position, latch shoulders on each of said legs, a cap on the lower end of said standard, a stem extending slidably through said cap axially of said standard, a latch member carried by said stem and having hookshaped pawls for engaging the respective latch shoulders on said legs, a compression spring bearing between said stem and cap to normally hold said pawls into position to engage said latch shoulders, a compression spring bearing between said cap and said extension rod to normally urge thelatter upward from said standard, and latch means acting between said standard and extension rod to hold same depressed against the action of said last-named compression spring.

12. In a device of the class described, a standard, a collapsible tripod stand, a fitting on said standard slidable therealong, the upper ends of said stand pivotally secured to said fitting, a stationary fitting rigidly secured to thelower end of said standard, link arms pivotally secured at one 13. The device according to claim 12, wherein I said latch means includes an axially disposed member telescopingly fitted in the lower end of said standard and also provided with a simple lever disposed between said fingers and said stationary fitting whereby movement of said lever causes said fingers and axial member to move 7 vertically.

LEO J. DU MAIS. HUGO BERNZOTT. FRANK J.. PROKOP.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of thispatent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,707,910 Haupt Apr. 2, 1929 1,849,898 Wright Mar. 15, 1932 2,549,584 Eller Apr. 17, 1951 

